chipper brash 150mm Best value second hand chipper 6" logs + brash?

[cjdg]

Dear All,

Am responsible for bringing to heel about 80 acres of stored woodland of which I own about 20%.  Complete newby and aim to get it managed within 5 years.  Have some knowledge of timber in the lab and in buildings (www.atics.co.uk) but limited out in the woodland. Have an Avant 760i  and most of the attachments needed but need a chipper that is a) suitable for the short term volume of work (I guess several hundred hours), easy to maintain, runs on diesel, has hydraulic input,  can be towed or pushed to awkward locations, directional output for trailer as chips are due to be sold or used to make compost and wont break the bank.   I have come to the conclusion that it is either a Timberwolf 150 HB towed to location via the Avant or a tractor OR one like this  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TH8-HYDRUALIC-DOUBLE-FEED-CHIPPER-FORESTRY-WOOD-PROCESSING/173020236598?hash=item2848cf4b36:g:tHUAAOSwySVaErtg  from MDL https://www.mdlpowerup.com/product/th8-pto-driven-twin-roller-chipper/

The latter will of course need the tractor with the chipper and so collection of chippings would have to be by another machine.  

What chipper would the combined wisdom of the forum advice?

More specifically, I have two TW 150s in mind - one is 2006 and going for under £3k but looks really tatty despite its low hours 600 odd

The other is 2013 and has done 900 hours and looks pretty good despite its apparent suspect "provenance" from a "vendor" that does not live on the UK mainland and refuses to accept payment other than by Pay Pal (has turned down a BACS). Would you go for the older or younger one?  After how many hours do these machines require serious maintenance eg  major engine rebuild or chipper bearings etc ?  ie say the equivalent for the average car was 100,000 miles when one should think of getting rid of it 

Yours 

Chris

[TheHungrySquirrel]

Where are you based? It may work out easier to get a man and chipper in than buying a possible 2nd hand money pit

[kav]

Have you got access to tractor as pto machine might work out cheaper?

 

[mitchel]

On 12/30/2017 at 13:13, cjdg said:

Dear All,

Am responsible for bringing to heel about 80 acres of stored woodland of which I own about 20%.  Complete newby and aim to get it managed within 5 years.  Have some knowledge of timber in the lab and in buildings (www.atics.co.uk) but limited out in the woodland. Have an Avant 760i  and most of the attachments needed but need a chipper that is a) suitable for the short term volume of work (I guess several hundred hours), easy to maintain, runs on diesel, has hydraulic input,  can be towed or pushed to awkward locations, directional output for trailer as chips are due to be sold or used to make compost and wont break the bank.   I have come to the conclusion that it is either a Timberwolf 150 HB towed to location via the Avant or a tractor OR one like this  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TH8-HYDRUALIC-DOUBLE-FEED-CHIPPER-FORESTRY-WOOD-PROCESSING/173020236598?hash=item2848cf4b36:g:tHUAAOSwySVaErtg  from MDL https://www.mdlpowerup.com/product/th8-pto-driven-twin-roller-chipper/

The latter will of course need the tractor with the chipper and so collection of chippings would have to be by another machine.  

What chipper would the combined wisdom of the forum advice?

More specifically, I have two TW 150s in mind - one is 2006 and going for under £3k but looks really tatty despite its low hours 600 odd

The other is 2013 and has done 900 hours and looks pretty good despite its apparent suspect "provenance" from a "vendor" that does not live on the UK mainland and refuses to accept payment other than by Pay Pal (has turned down a BACS). Would you go for the older or younger one?  After how many hours do these machines require serious maintenance eg  major engine rebuild or chipper bearings etc ?  ie say the equivalent for the average car was 100,000 miles when one should think of getting rid of it 

Yours 

Chris

where have you found a tw150 for 3k? seems to cheap even old entecs make more than that bearings must be shot 

[MattyF]

Older machines had faster rollers but not as much grip on the rollers as the newer ones , also stronger chassis but that may be irrelevant if it’s got tin worm any way... rollers easily changeable though ... We have had 4 stolen over the years amongst all the others I’ve heard of going missing there will be ones that can’t get moved as easily... hence cheaper so check them over thorough.
I think they say 400 hours for bearings but I’ve seen them with well over a thousand if looked after and blades changed regularly, check the fins on the fly wheel as they easy get damaged and throw the bearing out.

[cjdg]

I bought it 3 days ago and it is pretty damn ropey as the guy that sold it to me was not very clued up - said it was a 2005 model but on checking it was May 1998! he had just looked at the 5 before the 98! and either lied or was stupid.  It requires a lot of work.

Talking about bearings, is this a reference to the chipper itself that drags in the timber ? I presume not the bearings of the Kubota!  If so it does not seem to me too onerous to have to replace them from time to time along with changing the cutting blades every 25 hours as recommended.  Anyway I am now stuck with it and the plan is to refurbish it - not sure if I need a new Anvil (how does one measure that? presumably with feeler gauges  or the like?) - will need a new loom, starter switch, repair the holes in the sides, diesel cap, fan missing a blade, complete service and overhaul the hydraulics - looks like 2 to 3 days' work and several hundred quid. Flywheel seems ok but will check fins - good tip - thanks 

 

 Chris

 

[mitchel]

24 minutes ago, cjdg said:

I bought it 3 days ago and it is pretty damn ropey as the guy that sold it to me was not very clued up - said it was a 2005 model but on checking it was May 1998! he had just looked at the 5 before the 98! and either lied or was stupid.  It requires a lot of work.

Talking about bearings, is this a reference to the chipper itself that drags in the timber ? I presume not the bearings of the Kubota!  If so it does not seem to me too onerous to have to replace them from time to time along with changing the cutting blades every 25 hours as recommended.  Anyway I am now stuck with it and the plan is to refurbish it - not sure if I need a new Anvil (how does one measure that? presumably with feeler gauges  or the like?) - will need a new loom, starter switch, repair the holes in the sides, diesel cap, fan missing a blade, complete service and overhaul the hydraulics - looks like 2 to 3 days' work and several hundred quid. Flywheel seems ok but will check fins - good tip - thanks 

 

 Chris

 

id say its more ropey than meets the eye id be checking all bearings straight away brakes and wheel bearings.  i would of thought a new loom woould be rather expensive. Does it have the proper reverse stop and forward buttons? what colour is it to?

[Shaunpaul]

22 hours ago, cjdg said:

I bought it 3 days ago and it is pretty damn ropey as the guy that sold it to me was not very clued up - said it was a 2005 model but on checking it was May 1998! he had just looked at the 5 before the 98! and either lied or was stupid.  It requires a lot of work.

Talking about bearings, is this a reference to the chipper itself that drags in the timber ? I presume not the bearings of the Kubota!  If so it does not seem to me too onerous to have to replace them from time to time along with changing the cutting blades every 25 hours as recommended.  Anyway I am now stuck with it and the plan is to refurbish it - not sure if I need a new Anvil (how does one measure that? presumably with feeler gauges  or the like?) - will need a new loom, starter switch, repair the holes in the sides, diesel cap, fan missing a blade, complete service and overhaul the hydraulics - looks like 2 to 3 days' work and several hundred quid. Flywheel seems ok but will check fins - good tip - thanks 

 

 Chris

 

I would say the guy who sold it was very clued up and knew you weren't. Hope you get it up and running without breaking the bank, but so far doesn't sound good. 

[cjdg]

Given the low price I got it for, I am happy to spend money on the basics as even with that money I am still quids in.  As a biker who has built numerous bikes from parts (eg a Manx feather bed frame with a Villiers Starmaker 250 two stroke unique combo back in the sixties I know my basic engineering and the Kubota is fine, the wheel bearings are fine and the chassis is OK so am reasonably comfortable and, above all, the think works well - it just needs some TLC and tarting up. I am ever the optimist! 

 

[cjdg]

22 hours ago, mitchel said:

id say its more ropey than meets the eye id be checking all bearings straight away brakes and wheel bearings.  i would of thought a new loom woould be rather expensive. Does it have the proper reverse stop and forward buttons? what colour is it to?

Yes all buttons and other stuff was tested and working before I bought it. It is red.